Love Potion
by Silver Marshmellow
Summary: [Alternate Universe] Himeno trys to give a love potion to her crush, Sasame, but someone else ends up drinking it. Based on a short story by Hatori Bisco. HayatexHimeno, and a small amount of onesided HimenoxSasame.


**I had nothing to do last weekend, so this is the brainchild of my boredom and staying up until two o'clock. The plot is actually from** **this really cute short story at the end Ouran High School Host Club vol. 2, called Romantic Egoist. I loved it and I thought it would be fun to put a spin on it by inserting characters from Pretear. Mind you, Hayate, Himeno and Sasame are completely out of character. But it is AU, so there is no Princess of Disaster and all that jazz. Himeno is simply a regular girl, and Hayate happens to work for her father. And she is not very fond of him. I might redo it, with more Pretear stuff involved. Please read and review. No flames, please. **

**Disclaimer: All characters from Pretear belong to Kaori Naruse. The story Romantic Egoist belongs to Hatori Bisco. But Azuna Ichihara is my character (even though I based her basically on Yuuko Ichihara from xxxHolic by CLAMP)**

"_This _is what you need, my friend."

The small glass bottle chinked slightly as it was set on the desk. It was filled to the brim with some translucent liquid. Even though it was completely dark in the unused classroom, it seemed to be emitting its own faint glow.

I gulped. "You can't…. you can't seriously mean that's…"

The girl standing on the other side of the table chuckled softly, and nodded.

"It's a love potion, of course. The best thing you could possibly use to get his attention."

I sighed resignedly, knowing that she was most definitely correct. With my gruff mannerisms and anti-social ways, he would never pay any attention to someone like me.

Who is this guy I keep talking about, you ask?

He goes by the name of Sasame. The first time I saw him, when I moved to this school six months ago, I knew he was the one for me. He's pretty much perfect; the class president, top scores on his exams, and he plays almost every sport under the sun.

Even though I practically stalk him, he doesn't know I exist.

Which is exactly why I ended up here.

"I'll take it."

The girl grinned mischievously. She had found me, admiring him in the library, and had dragged me here by telling me that she could solve my love problem. She was the infamous Azuna Ichihara, admired by all girls for her romantic advice and drooled over by the boys. Despite her popularity, she seemed to be awfully strange to me. A little off her rocker, if you know what I mean.

"I'll give it to you for free this time," she said, handing me the fragile bottle. "Its effects only last for two weeks, so you have fourteen days to win your way into his heart."

I nodded, the determination I was known for building up and chugging through my veins.

"I won't lose!"

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Azuna couldn't help but laugh as she watched the girl leave her secret lair. She flipped her long, silvery hair over her shoulder, and gazed out the window at the trees with eyes of deep violet.

"The sakura blossoms are falling… what a beautiful time for young lovers…" she murmured, letting a mischievous grin grace her face.

"It will take Himeno some time to realize that all is not as it seems…"

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I breathed out shakily as I hesitantly poured the small amount of liquid into a paper cup.

_You can do this, Himeno, _I told myself. _Just go and switch his drink when he's not looking, and then you can reap the rewards! _

I peered around the doorway. Oh no, there he was. The light spring breeze was coming in from the windows, and his ivory hair was blowing slightly, beautifully complimenting his face.

I felt my cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. _I can't do this, I can't even look at him without practically passing out!_

I sighed heavily, and willed my legs to move forwards towards him. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.

They flew open as a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

"Oi, tulip-head, you were about to run into a bookcase."

I snarled unpleasantly, and turned around to find the one person I really did not want to see at this point.

"Hayate!" I moaned. He gave me a quizzical look, and then his eyes fell upon the drink.

Oh shit.

"Ah, can I have some?" He grabbed for it without listening for an answer, and quickly drank it down.

My jaw dropped open, and I just stared at him, watching as he paused for a moment, as if something had just occurred to him. He put his hand down, and stared at me for a moment.

"Himeno… would you go out with me?"

XxXxXxXxXxxXxXxXXxXXxXxXXxXxX

"Oh, Himeno, you can be such a DIMWIT sometimes!" Azuna exclaimed, huffing loudly and dropping into a large cushy chair. "Not only did you not give Sasame the potion, some random guy just came up and drank it!"

I sighed loudly. "He isn't some random guy… he works for my dad. He's my DESTINED ENEMY! He's always calling me stupid names, and picking on me! Just because I happen to be around!"

Azuna raised an eyebrow. "So, technically you hate him."

I shrugged. "I guess he isn't that bad when he doesn't talk. He just really_ aggravates _me!"

She nodded, and stirred her tea slightly, staring at it fixedly. "And what did you say in response to his question?"

"I didn't really say anything. He just told me to think about it, and then he fondly patted my head." I paused for a moment, thinking about the situation some. "Well, maybe he'll be nice to me for once."

The door creaked open slightly, and I jumped from my chair.

"Speak of the devil," Azuna muttered, rolling her eyes.

Hayate's blue head stuck into the room. "Hey, Himeno, can I walk you home today?" he said, smiling politely. I stood immediately, and waved at Azuna.

"Umm…" I quickly tried to think of an excuse. "I have to stop at the library before I go home…and you'll probably be late for your job."

"Oh, I'm sure your dad won't mind," he said. "I'm probably late already anyway, seeing as I waited for you here."

I couldn't help but groan slightly.

He waited for me after school for _almost an hour._

How very… stalkerish of him.

_What am I going to do for the next two weeks?!_

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Azuna turned her eyes to the window once again, and smiled. She could barely see the two of them walking off of school grounds.

"It always makes things more interesting when the best laid plans go awry…"

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As usual, the library was silent except for the turning of pages, the skritch-scratch of pens, and typing on the computers that sat around the room.

And as usual, Sasame was there, in all his glory.

He looked even better than he had during school. The light from the sunset played with the shadows on his face, and the way his lavender eyes scanned across the pages so gracefully…

"Himeno."

I jumped slightly. I had totally forgotten about Hayate! And he didn't sound very happy, either… I quickly lead him over to where I usually got books from, and choose one of my favorites from the shelf.

Hayate grabbed it from my hands impolitely, and examined it.

"This one again, eh?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, this one again?"

A small blush crossed his face, a rare thing indeed.

"On the occasion I see you out in the yard reading…" He smiled a secret smile. "You always look so peaceful when you're reading."

Now it was my turn to blush. Not many people ever saw me read; it was basically a private hobby of mine, and I liked to hide in the yard while doing so. The fact that Hayate had watched me made me squirm.

"You know…" He made a strange face, and allowed himself to fall back against the bookcase. "You always try to act so tough all of the time, Himeno… sometimes maybe you should let go and be yourself a little once and a while."

He screwed up his face in some sort of unrecognizable emotion, and stared at me. "You always hide your true feelings, but…" He paused, and looked away from me, the small blush growing larger. "If there's something you need to talk about, you could tell me. I'm always around."

I just stared at him for a moment, my eyes wide. It didn't seem possible that all this heartfelt stuff could have come from a potion that was given to me by a kook like Azuna.

Emerging from my reverie, I smiled sweetly at him, and awkwardly put my arm around his shoulder.

"C'mon, Hayate, lets go home."

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The next week seemed to pass in a whirlwind. I spent a lot of time with Hayate, and I could feel dread weighing on my heart as the second week begun. I was still deeply in love with Sasame, of course, but I wasn't sure if I really wanted these two weeks to end.

School had ended for the day, and I managed to escape from Hayate long enough to sneak into the backyard and read some. I chuckled as I pulled out the book I had gotten with Hayate. I hugged it to my chest happily.

"_Pssssssssssst._"

Ah, well. I must be hearing things.

"_Pssssssssssst. _Himeno."

This time I couldn't ignore it, and I turned around.

Hayate stood behind me, a mischievous grin crossing his face.

Who knew.

"What is it, I'm reading," I said, sounding rather annoyed. I looked him up and down and noticed he was still in his work clothes. What I hadn't noticed before was how nicely they complemented his deep navy eyes and hair.

"I want to show you something, c'mere."

Even though I was looking forward to reading, I quickly got up and followed him into the forest, letting him grab my hand and pull me along. I stared at his hand for a moment, and smiled slightly.

"So warm…" I murmured.  
"Eh?" He looked back, and quickly dropped it, turning away from me. I knew that he was probably blushing fiercely, and I had to admit my face was much redder than it had a right to be.

"Sorry 'bout that," he said, starting to walk faster. We turned a few corners, and his pace slowed.

"Almost there…"

I gasped as he brought me into a small wooded pond area. Large, vibrant flowers seemed to be growing every where, and the pond sparkled like diamonds in the sun. It was totally enclosed by trees, yet light seemed to radiate from everywhere.

"Oh, Hayate, its so gorgeous!" I breathed, walking forwards a few steps and looking around. "I've never been anywhere so beautiful in my life!"

I heard him laugh softly, like tinkling bells. "I knew you would like it here. It would probably be a great place for you to come and read."

"Yeah, you're right…" Even as I was admiring the scenery, I could still detect him coming up from behind me, and getting a little closer than I expected.

I looked up at him. My heart started to pound as I found him looking back down at me.

_This is all because of that potion, and you know that. You still like Sasame, remember? _I said to myself, though I couldn't turn my gaze away from him. _He doesn't really like you! This is all going to end in a week! Seven days, sister!_

I quickly pushed those thoughts from my head as he gently pushed up my chin, and leaned down slightly, so our noses were touching.

"Hayate…" I murmured, but he quickly silenced me by placing his lips on mine. It sent a bolt of electricity through my body, and I clenched his shirt tightly, not wanting to let go. I deepened the kiss, and closed my eyes in pleasure.

But those pester some thoughts were just not going to give up.

_THIS IS ALL FAKE!_

My eyes widened, and I quickly pushed away from him. Within seconds, I could feel tears clouding my eyes. Hayate stood back, looking surprised and hurt.

"Himeno!" he exclaimed, noticing the tears. He motioned to wipe them away with his finger, but I slapped his hand away.

"I'm sorry… did I do something wrong?" he said, his voice filled with some sort of strong emotion that only made my eyes grow wetter.

"No, you didn't do anything," I managed to choke, carefully looking away from him. "I just… I don't do well with flowers… they make me tear up like this…" I attempted to laugh slightly, and he just frowned at me.

"I'm going to go back to the house, okay? See you later, Hayate." When he didn't respond, I tore as fast as I could into the forest, and back to where I was reading. I let the sob I was holding back bubble to the surface, and hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve.

At first I thought it was because I only had one more week for him to be like this.

But no.

It was because I knew that this was all because of that stupid potion. He didn't really felt that way about me. All the lunches we had spent together, all of the times he took me home and to the library… all fake.

And maybe, I thought, just maybe… I wanted him to stay in love with me forever.

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I avoided him the best I could for the next five days. No matter how hard I tried to hide, he usually managed to find me. But I just ran from him, even though it was hurting me and it was probably hurting him too somewhere deep down.

I spent most of my time in the library. He knew I was there, but it was easy to get lost among the labyrinth of bookcases.

And, of course, Sasame was there. I hoped that watching him even more could help me solve this mental lapse about Hayate, and maybe it would shake him off. Even if it was from the potion.

Finally the day before the potion would fade came. I figured it would be a good idea to go see Azuna, and tell her about what had happened between me and Hayate, and maybe I could try again with Sasame and just forget about him.

As I walked down the corridor, I noticed that her door was cracked open slightly. Voices drifted from inside… my eyes widened. I would recognize that voice anywhere!

Of all people, Hayate was talking to Azuna Ichihara!

I leaned against the closed door, and listened in.

"…I didn't think she would actually go for the love potion crap. It was supposed to help but now its only made things worse…"

I leaned against the door a little to hard, and came face to face with both of them.

"Himeno!" Hayate exclaimed, suddenly standing and staring at my surprised face.

I ran as fast as I could out of there, and Hayate followed. Athletics had always been my best, so I easily out ran him.

I stopped as I entered the small park next to the library, and collapsed onto the bench, panting heavily.

"Ah? What is this? A scared little kitten?"

Another voice I could easily recognize.

After all, I had been stalking him for six months.

"S-Sasame!" I exclaimed, turning around to see him sitting on the bench behind me.

"What are you running from, my dear?" His voice was as smooth as silk, and my body trembled slightly as he cupped my chin with his hand.

I shook my head, not really wanting to talk about it.

"Oh, it must have something to do with that boyfriend of yours. I always see the two of you hanging around at the library."

I blushed slightly. I never knew he paid attention to me.

"He isn't really--"

"I think you should find someone better than a little bastard like him. He wouldn't know how to treat a fine lady like you."

I just stared at him in amazement for a second.

Had he really just said something like that?

His hand was still on my chin, so in a sudden burst of anger, I slapped it away, and stood up.

"I've liked you so long, and even though I've been practically stalking you, there are some things I haven't realized," I snarled. "If I had paid more attention, I would have realized that it was you that was the real bastard, not Hayate!"

At this point, he had jumped over the bench and was standing directly in front of me. "You stupid girl. You've got it all wrong."

Tears clouded my vision, and I slapped him across the face. "I don't _care_ if its wrong, I _love_ him!"

Warm arms suddenly wrapped around my torso. I smiled, knowing exactly who it was.

"What are you doing to Himeno?" Hayate exclaimed angrily, completely surprising Sasame. "What are you doing to my girlfriend?"

Sasame chuckled slightly. "I guess I've lost this one," he said softly, and with that he disappeared into the night.

"Hayate…" I said, turning to face him. "Thank--"

"I'm sorry," he murmured, his thick blue hair hanging into his face. "It was all my stupid idea…I thought that it would make you pay attention to me for once, instead of that guy. I always saw you watching him, and… it just made me so… so jealous."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, you big idiot," I said, laughing softly and hugging him. "If you hadn't done this, I wouldn't have realized that I was in love with the wrong guy entirely."

The cherry blossoms seemed to float around us, we locked hands, and started to walk along the pathway.

"You know what…" I said, swinging our hands as we walked. "I think we should go to the library to celebrate."

Hayate chuckled, and punched me lightly. "Hell no!"

**I am probably going to redo this, and fix the ending. ** **I am not satisfied with it, but I wanted to post this anyways. Like I said before, please review and no flames. **


End file.
